The Shockoe Institute is dedicated to using the lessons of our history to improve our civic life.
That we built Expanding Freedom to put this history to work [retrospective tangibility]
“It is important to me as governor, as a Virginian, and frankly as a mother of three kids, that we are honest about our full history.”
“Places like the Shockoe Institute are vital to this conversation. The stories that are told here have too often been lost or overlooked.”
-Governor Abigail Spanberger
Moving beyond our walls.
The Shockoe Institute is supporting efforts to address the enduring impact of our nation’s history and advance an optimistic vision for our shared future.
[outcomes we seek and tangibility — use retrospective tangibility as proof point]
the point isnt what is in expanding freedom, it is THAT we built it.
economic terms — we deployed 11mil dollars of private capital to built something that never existed before. NOW we use that to ….. We have a track record. proven entity.
Digital Scholarship
Expanding our digital archive to build a living library of primary sources and analysis, and demonstrate how these resources are being used to repair the civic square.
Youth Engagement
Empowering young people to activate their citizenship by expanding access to civic and financial education programs.
National Dialogue
Convening policy experts, historians, and civic leaders to reflect on historical scholarship in order to offer solutions to modern challenges.
Putting history to work [these are the tools to put history to work]
[investor language] Our exhibit, Expanding Freedom, traces the origins and enduring impact of American racial slavery. Visitors extend their learning journey in our Lab and Library. Through [action] programs and engagement, we empower visitors to restore the civic square.
The Exhibit
(10,000+ sq. ft.)
Expanding Freedom immerses visitors in the history of America's struggle to expand human freedom. Located in Shockoe Bottom, once an epicenter of the domestic slave trade, the exhibit conveys the origins and growth of racial slavery in America.
The Lab
Upon exiting Expanding Freedom, visitors are invited into our Lab. Through informal discussion, exploration with Library resources, and access to interdisciplinary programs and performances, The Lab provides visitors the opportunity to deepen their learning journey.
The Library
The Library is an interactive digital storytelling experience, featuring research, narratives, visuals, and educational resources. Its dynamic and accessible content lets users access history and use its lessons to improve our civic life.
“We find ourselves in a place where the future of a healthy multiracial democracy is being challenged in ways that I never could have imagined... but this gives me hope.”
-Richmond Mayor Danny Avula
Join the Shockoe Institute and embrace the power of history to improve our civic life.
